Wriggle, wriggle.
As his body heaved, his groans grew heavier.
Taesu, watching, thought this couldn’t go on any longer.
And then it happened.
Factory Manager Na Duyeong, supporting himself on the floor with both arms, began to lift his upper body little by little.
“Grrrgh!”
Tremble, tremble.
His arms shook more violently than an aspen.
Even so, he focused his entire mind and showed his will.
Taesu was deeply shocked.
‘Is that… possible?’
A considerable amount of muscle had been lost from his right side, and his kidney function was not moving smoothly either.
Yet in that state, he was moving like that.
It was a sight impossible to believe even while seeing it.
This was no longer the time to stand by and watch.
Step.
“Please stop. No, I’ll help you.”
“Don’t… don’t touch me… Grrgh!”
“Your wound will open.”
With a face full of worry, Taesu reached out and wrapped an arm around his shoulder.
At that moment, Factory Manager Na Duyeong’s bloodshot eyes bore fiercely into Taesu.
“Take… take your hand off… Huuup.”
“Why are you doing this?”
Even as Taesu asked, he withdrew his hand without realizing it.
That was how resolute Na Duyeong was.
“Hoo, hoo. Huuup!”
Then, after drawing in a harsh breath, he pulled his upper body backward this time.
As Taesu watched his posture gradually change, his eyes wavered for an instant.
Now that he had realized what was happening, he could not reach out.
He could not stop him either.
He could only watch.
Soon, Factory Manager Na Duyeong stopped moving.
What he had completed through sheer grit was the posture of a bow. Even after pushing Taesu away, he had changed his position on his own to the very end.
Lying prostrate like that, Factory Manager Na Duyeong let out ragged breaths and spoke.
“Huff, huff. I’m sorry that I, this fool who got himself hurt, huff, huff, have nothing to offer you but a greeting like this.”
“Factory Manager.”
“I’m an ignorant man, so I have no words to run my mouth with. Huff, huff. I’m just grateful. Thank you for everything.”
After he finished speaking, his back heaved faintly.
The aftereffects of that violent movement continued.
Within it were meanings so numerous that Taesu could hardly fathom them.
The pain he had overcome to move like that was difficult even to imagine.
Taesu quickly prostrated himself in the same way and spoke in a calm voice.
“I’m glad I was able to be of even a little help.”
He meant it.
He felt as proud as he had at the moment he had held on to an emergency patient’s breath.
It was precisely because of scenes like this. These people did not take a single thing for granted and were truly grateful.
He felt proud of himself for receiving such thanks.
A short while later.
Taesu left Factory Manager Na Duyeong’s house.
A bitter smile was on his face.
“He pushed himself too hard.”
Factory Manager Na Duyeong had ended up losing consciousness while still lying prostrate.
The mental strength to endure that much pain and maintain the posture to the very end was astonishing.
His side wound had surely worsened as well.
It was wrapped tightly in a compression bandage, so it could not be seen.
Taesu did not force it open and had come outside like this instead.
‘Let’s take a look tomorrow.’
He pushed it off inwardly like that.
He could not guarantee that he would be able to let it pass without nagging.
Separate from that, the sincere gratitude Factory Manager Na Duyeong had shown still filled his heart.
With a bitter smile, Taesu headed toward the lodgings.
As he did, the village in his eyes was nothing but quiet.
It seemed the day would pass like this.
“That’s good.”
Just the feeling that the tension filling the village had disappeared was enough to make him smile.
He was walking like that when—
Vrooom.
From far off, the sound of a car engine reached him.
Then, one after another, an old truck came up, contrasting with Raku’s flashy truck.
It seemed they had seen off the people who had left as far as the nearest city and returned.
Taesu turned and headed that way.
He had to tell them what had happened while they were away.
The trucks stopped side by side in front of the tea leaf storage warehouse.
Then the driver’s doors opened, and Raku and Site Leader Go Jiyong got out.
Perhaps sensing that something had changed in the atmosphere, they looked around.
Soon, Raku spotted Taesu.
Greetings should have come first, but perhaps because of the unusual mood, the question came first.
“Doctor Choi, the atmosphere feels a little strange.”
“Thank you for your hard work. But the village is awfully quiet, isn’t it?”
“That too, but…”
While Raku was speaking, Site Leader Go Jiyong suddenly cut in.
With a bewildered expression, he asked,
“Weren’t they all supposed to be gathered together?”
“That’s right. Originally, we were supposed to go find them.”
“Then what changed?”
“A lot happened. So…”
Taesu calmly delivered the news without tormenting Site Leader Go Jiyong’s nerves.
Because Raku was with them, he spoke in English.
As for Taesu, he had repeated it several times by now, so he no longer felt much about it.
But Site Leader Go Jiyong’s position was completely different.
His eyes opened so wide they seemed about to split. In that intense shock, all sorts of emotions—joy, gratitude, delight, hope, and more—swirled together.
“Wow, wahaha! Hey, really?”
“It’s true.”
“Dr. Choi!”
Whump!
Site Leader Go Jiyong abruptly pulled Taesu into a hug.
“Ha, haha.”
Taesu’s laugh instantly turned awkward.
In truth, he had sensed that Go Jiyong would come at him like this. But knowing that he was trying to express his overwhelming emotions, he could not coldly step away.
That was when—
Quick, quick!
Himan, who had set out with them, approached urgently with wide eyes.
“Is it true?”
“It seems so.”
Raku answered on behalf of the busy Taesu.
At the same time—
“Doctor Choi!”
Himan also flew over with both arms spread wide.
Whump!
In an instant, another person had been added to the embrace.
Perhaps their joy had squared; the two men even began hopping up and down.
Caught between them, Taesu was clearly smiling, but his eyebrows twitched faintly.
‘Why don’t the two of you hug each other?’
Even so, he could not push them away.
Knowing it was an expression of pure joy, he simply endured it.
When Taesu was in trouble, Raku appeared like a savior.
“Stop. This isn’t the time to be hugging Doctor Choi.”
His intervention seemed perfectly timed.
Site Leader Go Jiyong and Himan stopped at the same time.
Then Site Leader Go Jiyong, with his face pressed close, asked Taesu,
“Right. What about the boss and the madam?”
“They’re asleep after getting IVs.”
“The others too?”
“Almost all of them should be. But now, could you…”
Taesu trailed off with a troubled expression.
But Site Leader Go Jiyong did not budge as he said,
“When you live long enough, days like this happen.”
“I’m happy too, and it’s good, but I don’t think I’m quite mentally prepared yet.”
“If you’re uncomfortable, Dr. Choi, that’s a different story… Hey, Himan.”
Slide.
Calling Himan, Site Leader Go Jiyong widened the distance together with him.
At the same time, Taesu regained his freedom.
That was not the priority, so he suggested to the two of them in English,
“You should go share the joy with everyone.”
At those words, Himan began moving busily.
“That’s right. Yes. I’ll go first. $%#$%.”
Seeing him shout in Hindi at the end as he left, it seemed he was looking for his wife.
Following after him, Site Leader Go Jiyong spoke in Korean.
“I should get going too.”
“You’re still on your own, aren’t you?”
“The kid I live with is still a bit careless. Then… Oh, wait.”
Site Leader Go Jiyong started to run off, then stopped short.
Taesu flinched for an instant.
“What is it?”
“Doctor, please receive my thanks first.”
Just as he was about to bow his head—
Thud.
Taesu quickly stopped him and said,
“After hugging me like that, what kind of greeting do you need to give now?”
“That and this are different.”
“To be honest, I liked that better.”
“Then one more time?”
Site Leader Go Jiyong spread both arms wide again.
Taesu flinched for an instant, then quickly stepped back and pointed toward his house.
“Please go. Sangdu is waiting.”
“Hahaha. Why are you acting shy? Still, I feel fantastic. Truly, thank you. I’ll excuse myself first… Yahoo!”
Leap!
As Site Leader Go Jiyong ran off, he even jumped with all his might.
He seemed so lighthearted that Taesu worried he might soar all the way into the sky.
Taesu watched him with a smile on his face.
Then another voice speaking Korean slipped clearly into Taesu’s ears.
“I knew I was a lucky man.”
“Hmm?”
At the unfamiliar voice, Taesu quickly turned around.
Since Site Leader Go Jiyong had gone off into the distance, all the Koreans were in the village.
So it was strange to hear Korean again.
It was not Taesu’s imagination.
From the passenger side of Site Leader Go Jiyong’s truck, a man wearing a backpack appeared.
‘Huh?’
Seeing him, Taesu’s expression turned slightly puzzled.
The other man, on the other hand, looked broadly around the village and gave his impression.
“Wow, they built a place like this up in the mountains. It’s impressive.”
His tone of admiration was quite bright.
And it was definitely Korean.
Even so, Taesu’s expression remained puzzled.
He looked Korean, but his features were slightly different. He had brown skin, and his cheekbones and jaw were fairly large.
On top of that, his intonation was a little different as well.
Perhaps noticing Taesu’s puzzled expression, Raku spoke first.
“We met him in the city below. No, he approached Mr. Go first.”
“He approached him first?”
“They exchanged a few words in Korean, and then he said he would come back with us. And since we were on the move, I don’t know the details either.”
Saying that, Raku shrugged.
Taesu gave only a light nod.
It was an expression saying that if Site Leader Go Jiyong had brought him, there must be a reason.
Separate from that, his gaze remained fixed on the unidentified man.
Seeing Taesu like that, Raku tactfully opened his mouth again.
“I should get some rest too. I don’t think I’ve quite recovered from yesterday’s fatigue.”
“Shall I give you an injection?”
“It isn’t that bad. I’ll see you at dinner later.”
After speaking, Raku turned around and walked away leisurely.
Yesterday he had had to sleep with the soldiers, but now that many houses had been emptied, his steps looked even more relaxed.
Taesu smiled lightly.
It was because he could clearly see Raku’s intentions in making an excuse and stepping away.
He was grateful to Raku, who always showed consideration first.
That thought lasted only a moment.
When he looked again, the man was still looking all around.
What was strange was that he was hovering around the truck.
It felt as if he was secretly hoping Taesu would call out to him first.
Taesu was curious as well, so he approached him.
“Excuse me.”
“You’re finally calling me over.”
The other man answered with surprising cheerfulness.
He did not seem to feel much resistance toward the unfamiliar environment or people.
His clothing was not particularly standardized either, but mixed elements from various cultures.
There were people for whom such traits stood out.
Before speaking of that, greetings came first.
Taesu calmly introduced himself first.
“Hello. I’m Choi Taesu.”
“So you’re Dr. Choi, the one Brother Go mentioned.”
“Brother Go? You mean Manager Go?”
When Taesu pieced it together and understood, the other man smiled sheepishly.
“Where I’m from, we call people Brother Choi, Brother Go, things like that, so it just came out without me realizing.”
“It feels a little awkward to me, but it does have a sense of familiarity.”
“Right? Oh, right, what am I doing? Nice to meet you. I’m Namgung Hyeoncheol.”
Hearing the name, Taesu casually asked.